


To Be In Your Shoes

by alyciaDC307



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Artist Clarke, Bully Clarke, Clexa, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, High School AU, Shy lexa, Slow Burn, Smart Lexa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-25 13:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9821621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alyciaDC307/pseuds/alyciaDC307
Summary: Bullied while she was a student, Lexa Woods makes it her own personal duty as principal of Ark High to prevent bullying of any form from occurring in the school. Tired, mousy, but absolutely brilliant Aden Trikru is the target of torment, and is unable to fit in. Ms. Woods calls for a conference, and who else but her own bully from high school shows up as Aden’s guardian: Clarke Griffin.





	1. Ch 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fan fic! I've had lots of ideas before, but this one I've put the most thought into and decided to finally write. You can find me on ifunny, @alyciaDC or on Tumblr, @grazinglove . This is gonna be a long ride, so I hope you all enjoy (:

_Lanky limbs, a quiet personality, and a lack of interest in Justin Bieber at the tender age of 13 deemed Lexa Woods to be a social pariah. She didn't get along with the boys her age. The girls were mean. One in particular, was Clarke Griffin. She was relentless, teasing her on a daily basis over her clothes, her appearance. Even calling her a nerd, after seeing how well she had done on every test. Lexa didn't understand the girl, so she shut herself off from her other peers. All she had was her books, and that's what she threw herself into. The immersion of a fantasy world took her away from whichever immature middle schooler that was taunting her. She found solace in the crisp pages of the greats. Dickens. Austen. Twain. King. Walker. Her best, and only, friend shortly became the librarian. Kind words exchanged between each other after picking up her daily novel. Her love for books followed her into high school, but she found that the increase in classes, subjects, and teachers was a refreshing change of pace. She always sat in the front, no matter the seating chart. She wanted to soak in every bit of information she could, and oh how much of a sponge she proved to be. She graduated as valedictorian with nearly perfect SAT and ACT scores. She could go anywhere, be anything. She knew deep down that she needed to pursue her passion in literature, so she decided to major in English while she minored in teaching. After several years at PolState, Ms. Woods became a 10th grade literature teacher. Years of dedication to her students allowed her to take a leadership position. She became principal of Ark High._

September 2016 marked Ms. Woods’ 4th year as principal. She stood in the center of the main office, watching the stream of new students flow into the building. She laughed, seeing the tired and grumpy faces; summer was over. They hated it now, but she knew they would come to appreciate their education. A particularly small boy caught her eye. Sandy blonde hair and barely-there freckles moving through the crowd, occasionally catching an elbow or hand to the head, the kids too exuberant in their conversations to notice him. She thought nothing of it, until she saw him stumble and nearly fall. Her eyes scanned around him, and found a smirking boy not far behind the mousy one. Tan and freckled with curly dark brown hair had the girls around him drooling. He had shoved the boy in an attempt to show off. However, she didn't want to bring attention to the situation and embarrass him any further. After making a mental note to find out the name of the small boy, she pivoted on her feet as the first bell rang. The first day of school was starting soon.

• • •

 **“Aden Trikru to the front office, Aden Trikru please come down to the front office."** What was supposed to be an easy syllabus day became a day of anxiety with his summoning to the office. _‘It’s only the first day, how could I be in trouble?’_. He gathered the few pieces of paper he had received from his biology teacher and slipped them into his bag. 

“Be sure to have your parents sign that by Friday, Mr. Trikru.” muttered Mr. Green.

“Yes sir,” he mumbled with a nod to his head.

Shutting the door as quietly as he could, he began the short walk to the front of the school. The glass walls of the office showed his reflection, and he shook his head at the frail boy he saw looking back. 

The receptionist smiled warmly at him, “Are you Aden Trikru?” she asked. 

“Yes ma'am,” he nodded curtly.

“Ms. Woods asked for you to see her. Around this desk, in the far right corner is her office,” she motioned.

Aden’s knuckles tightened around the straps of his backpack. The adrenaline from being called to the principal’s office coursing through his veins, making it feel as though his heart lay behind his ears. He had heard rumours of the Ark High principal back in middle school, 

‘She's got these eyes that pierce into your soul’.

‘She can see what you're doing at all times’.

‘I heard she pushed one kid off the top of the school’.

Aden pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, and tried to stop the trembling of his hands. _‘You're being weak, Aden. Get yourself together. You’re acting like a child,’_ his mind betrayed him, always self-deprecating. He shook his head, and turned the knob to the door. Once he stepped in, he paused. In front of him sat a small woman, deep in thought over the pile of papers on her desk. 

She looked up and smiled, “You must be Aden? I’m Ms. Woods”.

He remained in the doorway, puzzled. _‘Isn't she supposed to be this crazy strict old lady?’_. 

“You're not in trouble, Aden. Come have a seat,” she waved to the seat in front of her. 

With the reassurance that he was not in trouble, he released his death grip on the backpack straps. He looked down to see his white knuckles, slowly turning pink again as the blood returned. Sighing, he unshouldered his bag and plopped down into the chair. 

Ms. Woods gathered the papers and set them aside, then folded her hands on top of the desk. “Welcome back to school, Mr. Trikru. How has your first day been?” she asked.

Aden thought back to that morning. He had been running late, toothpaste at the corners of his mouth and hair unkempt. He had thrown a pop tart into his backpack, not having enough time to grab anymore food for lunch. He yelled goodbye (not that anyone had been listening), and ran out the door. The bus was just pulling away, but stopped at the sight of small legs darting down the sidewalk. The drive to school wasn't bad, as he had shoved his earbuds in and turned on some alternative radio. It wasn't until he got off the bus that his day started going to hell. He was shoved from behind by the same sneering boy he had been bullied by in middle school. School started and he got lost twice. When he finally got to biology he realized he had no pencil, and had to deal with the anxiety of asking the kid in the desk next to his for one. His day had not been good.

“Good,” he bluntly stated. 

The boy was obviously lying, but she let it go. “How did eighth grade go last year?” she asked. 

She already knew the answer, having looked up his grades beforehand. He had A’s in everything but history. She couldn't blame him; she too had slipped up in history, frequently dozing the class away. She wanted to see if he would be honest. If they could build a foundation.

Aden smiled, “I did pretty good. Except for Mr. Jaha’s class. He was a pretty lame teacher, always going on about made up theories”.

They both chuckled, and Aden began to realize Ms. Woods was not nearly as bad as everyone made her out to be.

He became quiet again. “Could I ask why you needed to see me?” 

Ms. Woods, too, stopped laughing. Her lips in a small line. “You've done very well academically. What about socially?” 

He sighed. _‘You're a loner. Who would want to be friends with a loser like you? It's no wonder you're always bullied,’_ his head a never-stopping source of sadness.

“I guess I'm okay. I'm friends with Atom? He moved a couple county's away though. I don't see him much,” he confessed quickly. 

Ms. Woods nodded, “That's what I was thinking. I saw that boy shove you earlier this morning. There's no one around to help you or stick up for you.”

“Ugh. Bellamy Blake. He’s a big jerk. Always flirting with the other girls. He's not even smart, I don't understand him,” he said with a sneer.

Aden was the type of kid to only cry when he was angry, as evidenced by the single tear that ran down his face. Ms. Woods felt a pang in her heart. She saw so much of the personality she had in high school in this boy. Angry, but not volatile enough to stick up for herself. Intelligent, but not boastful. 

“I know this is only the first day of school. However, I think it'd be a good decision to have a discussion with your parents regarding academics, but also how you've been treated,” she suggested.

Aden froze. _‘Now you've done it. You just had to get your sister involved. She’s not gonna be happy at all’_. 

He stammered. “Uh, I guess? Except my parents died a few years ago,” he said solemnly, “I live with my sister now.”

Ms. Woods blinked once. She just looked at the boy. He had been through so much, and her heart went out to him. 

“I'm so sorry, Aden. I know those words don't amount to much, but know that I truly mean them,” she said.

He shifted awkwardly in his seat. Her words were taken to heart, but he had only just met this principal. “I’ll just give her a call then?” he avoided her apology.

The phone was moved around to face him. “Dial nine first,” she told him. 

**“Hey, it's Aden.”**

**“What's wrong? Are you in trouble?”**

**“No, I'm not. The new principal wants to talk to you though.”**

**“I just started my shift, Aden. Do you expect me to get out of it?”**

**“No, no. She would just like to have a conversation.”**

**“I guess I can see if Raven is willing to pick up my shift. I'm gonna have to work extra this weekend though.”**

**“Alright. I'll see you in a bit.”**

Aden hung up the phone and sighed. “She should be here soon,” he said. 

They sat in silence, each in their own thoughts while they waited. Once a knock was heard, Ms. Woods stood up. 

“Hello, Ms. Trikru, how are y-” she stopped. She spoke quietly, _“Clarke?”_


	2. Ch 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, finally up! Some of my formatting is different, as in the phone calls are in bold, inner monologue is in italics, and long sections of italics are flashbacks. Probably should have specified in the first chapter, but here it is now. Thank you all for the support, it means so much with this being my first work. I hope you guys enjoy (:

Clarke Griffin was not having a good day. Her boss at Grounders, the local café, called around 7:30, screaming.

**“You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago to help open, where the fuck are you?!”**

**“I wasn't scheduled until before the lunch rush, Lincoln said he was gonna open.”**

**“Well Lincoln isn't here, and neither are you. You'd better get here soon ‘Princess’, or things won't be looking too hot for you.”**

She heard the click signaling the end of the call and promptly threw her phone across the room.

“Man, _fuck_ Collins. Isn’t he just the greatest wake-up call,” she groaned bitterly.

After throwing the covers off of herself, she trudged into the bathroom to pee. She knew she'd have to hurry if she didn't want a repeat of the screaming match she’d had with him yesterday. She washed her hands while looking into the mirror. Her makeup from the night before was a mess and her hair was all over the place, but she didn't have time to bother fixing it. Instead, she swiped underneath each eye to get rid of the smudges and raked her fingers through her hair as she searched for a shirt that didn't have last week's fry grease on it. _‘Why did I even start working here? I knew I was going to hate it before I even started,’_ but she knew the answer already. She had to make ends meet somehow. Between Grounders, bartending, and the little bit of government assistance she got each month, Clarke could just barely afford to fill the fridge and pay rent.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed a slice of cold pizza to hold her over until her break. A glance at the clock told her it was 7:45, and she knew Aden was going to be late. She knew he would get up sooner or later, so she grabbed her keys and left. 

Traffic was awful, as always, and Clarke was impatient. She knew honking would get her nowhere; yet, there she was. Bumper to bumper with the silver Sedan in front of her, laying on her horn.

“Just fucking move. One inch. Just one. That's all I ask!” she yelled. 

As if they could hear her, the cars slowly began to inch forward. She turned her blinker on, signaling that she wanted into the right lane, and a glorious person let her in. _‘I'm glad to see that_ some _people are capable of driving without being douchebags.’_

She turned right on red, narrowly avoiding another turning car, and made it to Grounders before 8. She parked, all the while grumbling under her breath.

“Man, _fuck_ this job. Who the fuck wants to wake up at 6:30 just to open?” she said.

“Well good morning to you too, Sunshine!” a deep voice rumbled behind her. 

She jumped and turned around to see Lincoln’s wide stature. Lincoln was the only reason she stayed at Grounders, as they related to each other. Both were the main source of income for their family and both hated Grounders with a passion. But that didn't stop her from laying into him.

“Man, _fuck_ you Linc. You were supposed to open this morning for me, but guess who didn't show up? Collins called me at like 7:30 to chew me out for it. Then you've gotta go and scare me with your deep ass voice,” she said.

He started walking forward as he rubbed his hand over his bald head, “I'm sorry, Clarke. I had a late night last night. Forgot to set the alarm. I’ll make it up to you, Sunshine.”

Clarke shook her head, she couldn't stay mad at him. “Well you can start by letting that nickname die. I've only cried over the sun once! Plus I was drunk, so I don't get why you guys keep dragging it out,” she laughed.

Lincoln opened the door to the café with a smile and followed Clarke inside. Finn was behind the register, staring like a perv at the mother he was ringing up. He looked up to see the pair and planted a wry smirk on his face.

“Glad to see my two lovely employees finally show up. ‘Fashionably late,’ is that what they're calling it these days?” he snarked. 

Clarke rolled her eyes at him as slyly as she could. “There was just a bit of miscommunication between Lincoln and I, sorry,” she said, trying to play nice.

“Miscommunication, my ass. It's the 3rd time this place hasn't been opened on time because of one of you. Keep it up and you won't even have to bother with opening because you'll be out of a job instead,” he said. “Now you-” pointing a finger at Lincoln, “get the fries going.” Then he pointed at Clarke, “and you need to-” he was cut off by Clarke’s ringtone. _‘Today is the day I die. Collins is just gonna fucking kill me,’_ she thought to herself. She gave him a pleading look, and stepped away. 

Aden’s mumbling voice rang through the earpiece, and soon enough she was annoyed. Leave it to her brother to get in trouble on the first day of school. 

It was strange for the principal to request a conference if Aden was ‘not in trouble’ like he claimed to be. Regardless, she had Raven on the phone as quickly as possible.

**“Raven I know this is probably waking you up but I need a favor.”**

**“Huh? What? I'm up. Who is this again?”**

**“It's Clarke. Your best friend who needs a favor."**

**“Damn, Clarke, you're gonna owe me big for waking me up this early on the only day I have off.”**

**“That's sorta the thing. I really need you to cover my shift. Aden got in trouble at school. Or he didn't? I don't know but the principal wants a conference.”**

**“Ughhh. I swear to god Clarke I'm only doing this because I love you. But at the same time, fuck you. I'll be there in ten.”**

The line clicked, and Clarke sighed. Time to face the beast. Finn looked at her with an exasperated face.

“Well?” he said, “what's happening that's so important?”

“My little brother needs me at his school. Raven agreed to cover my shift, and I swear I'll pick up more hours on Saturday. I really have to go,” she said quickly.

Finn shook his head, “You’re running out of straws, Griffin. Just go. Before I change my mind.”

She nodded and waved a quick goodbye to Lincoln in the back. She would fill him in on her abrupt exit later. 

Fifteen minutes later, she found herself in the parking lot of her old high school. ‘ _This place is_ gross. _I don't blame half these kids for being delinquents.’_ She walked through the doors to the office and was met by a warm smile.

“Hi, I'm here for Aden Trikru? He called saying he's in the principal’s office,” Clarke said.

The receptionist nodded, “Around this desk, in the far right corner is her office,” just as she had told Aden.

She smiled, and walked to the door. After knocking twice, she turned the knob and walked in. She expected Mrs. Green, the agriculture-obsessed principal who also had the tendency to spend time cultivating cannabis. It wasn't a shock that she had been replaced. However, the piercing green eyes that fell upon her as she entered the room, _that_ was a shock. 

“ _Lexa_ ,” she whispered.

_Clarke hated math class. She understood the 2+2 part, but when they threw letters into the mix, she was clueless. She had a C, and her parents wouldn't deal with another failed class. The teacher handed out the most recent test, and she received a 70. She passed by the skin of her teeth. She looked a few rows ahead of her, and saw a big fat 98 on one of the tests. Thumbing through the pages with slender fingers, Lexa Woods was deep in thought. She was looking for her minuscule mistake, always the perfectionist._

_“You didn't fail, Woods. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and quit flipping through those pages like a madwoman,” Clarke shouted._

_The class chuckled while Lexa shrunk into her desk. She was beyond embarrassed, and Clarke thought she could see tears starting to form in the brunette’s eyes. She knew she shouldn't have called Lexa out, and now she regretted it. Lexa didn't deserve it, and Clarke knew that, but there was no taking it back._

Clarke blinked twice. Lexa stood in awe. _‘I didn't think I'd ever have to see her again,’_ they both thought.

Lexa, remembering that she had to maintain a professional attitude, cleared her throat and put her hand in front of Clarke to shake. 

“I apologize, I assumed you and Aden had the same last name. Ms. Griffin, it's nice to see you,” she lied, but maintained her composure. 

_Lexa loved math class. Each new concept was a challenge until she figured out the methods of solving the problems. From there it was a breeze, and she just went through the motions for every question. She finished the last test with 25 minutes to spare, and she took that time to scour her answers for mistakes. That's why when she received her score of 98, she was crushed. She looked over each page afterwards, trying to find where she went wrong. She heard a voice behind her, and after slightly turning around she realized the voice was directed at her. She hadn't realized how fervorously she was skimming the pages, and now she'd made a fool out of herself. She felt the sting of tears at her eyes, but she fought them back, not wanting to be weak. She wondered why high schoolers had to be so casually cruel._

Clarke pushed the memories to the back of her head. “Oh, um. Yeah it's, uh, nice to see you,” she stuttered.

The principal smiled through the blonde’s lack of genuineness, and motioned to the seat next to Aden. He had been watching their short stand-off intently, but remained confused.

“You know each other?” he said. It was both a statement and a question.

Clarke hesitated, “Oh.. Um.”

“Yes. Your sister and I both attended this high school,” said Ms. Woods, jumping in for her. She didn't want to make it any more awkward than it had to be.

Clarke nodded, and remembered her purpose for leaving work. “Right. So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?” she asked then sat down.

Ms. Woods followed suit, sitting in her chair and facing the siblings. “I would like to discuss Aden’s school experience,” she said.

Clarke shook her head, “He's not dumb, so I'm not sure what the problem is.”

“You're right. Aden is extremely intelligent, and his grades reflect that.” She smiled slightly, as she had made sure to not mention his history grade. She continued, “The problem, however, is his social presence.”

Aden ducked his head down, ashamed. He remained silent.

“He has been bullied quite frequently, and from what he's told me about middle school, it has been occurring for a long time,” said Ms. Woods.

Clarke nodded gravely. _‘This kid is the opposite of me,’_ she thought.

Ms. Woods spoke calmly and quietly, demanding attention from both blondes. “This will be my 4th year leading this high school, and the bullying policies have already been adjusted to what I deem is the correct standard. As a freshman, I believe Aden will find high school to be a lot better,” she turned to Aden, “However, if this treatment continues, I want you to come directly to me. This is now a safe space, Aden. If I had someone to come to while I was in high school, my experience would've been much better.”

The jab was small, and did not go unnoticed by Clarke. She sighed and shook her head, “Aden will be fine regardless. He doesn't need to come to you every time he gets his feelings hurt. He'd be called a snitch if he did so.”

“This is a new environment. The first few weeks will be difficult as we all get into the flow of things, but these kids are learning to respect one another. Aden needs a support system!” the principal said. She regretted it as soon as she did, as she saw a flame of rage flicker through the blonde’s eyes.

“What, like I'm not his support system? Are you saying I don't know how to take care of my own fucking brother? You know nothing, Lexa Woods. This meeting or conference or whatever the fuck it is, it's over. Aden needs to be back in class, and I need to do _something_ productive with my day, because this has definitely been a waste of my time,” she roared. “I'll see you at home, Aden,” she said, then walked out the doors to her car.

Ms. Woods heard a heavy sigh, and looked to the boy. He was sitting silently, but didn't look fazed by his sister’s rage.

“We don't talk much,” he spoke up quietly, “But she's a good sister. I don't go hungry and there's clothes on my back. I'm fortunate that way. Thank you for everything, though. I'll see you later, Ms. Woods.” He grabbed his backpack and walked towards the door.

She sat conflicted. _‘He has no one to go to, but she wants him to have little contact with me. Am I just supposed to sit here and watch him be bullied?’_

“Aden, wait,” she stopped him.

“Officially, I am required to follow the wishes of a student’s parent or guardian. However, this situation is different. Your sister does not want you to confide in me, but kids are cruel. As I said before, students are learning to respect each other. Learning takes time, though. So, I'm standing by my decision to leave this office open to you. I need to know what's happening in these hallways when I'm not there to see, and you can help,” she spoke clearly.

Aden smoothed down the collick at the back of his head, a nervous tic. _‘She wants me to go behind Clarke’s back. What if she found out? She'd be so angry with me.’_

Ms. Woods saw a wave of different emotions go across the boy’s face. She knew what she was asking of him, and she knew it was a difficult decision for him to make. 

He hesitated, then made up his mind. “I can do that,” he nodded, “Do you think I could, uh, have lunch in here?” he said quickly.

The principal smiled, seeing that he was willing to trust in her. “Of course. I look forward to seeing you then.”

Aden let out a shaky breath, and made for the door. He said, “Thank you, Ms. Woods. Really.” then left.

_‘I don't need to do everything Clarke says. I'm practically raising myself anyways. I need this,’_ he thought to himself as he walked down the hallway, disoriented over the amount of time he spent in the office. He looked at his schedule and finally figured out where his third period was. It was going to be a long couple of hours until lunch.


End file.
